Andrew McClelland
The Advocate

It’s common to say that someone “thinks outside the box” when they do things a little differently from everyone else.

But in the case of Sheena Ben-David, a Macdonald Campus student and community organizer, thinking outside the box is just the first step in how she hopes to build a better society through farming.

“My background is in illustration, design and special-effects makeup, and I’ve worked as an art teacher and integration aid,” said the 38-year-old. “So farming wasn’t the obvious path.”

Ben-David is the daughter of immigrants to Canada. Her father is from Israel, her mother from Sicily. While she mostly grew up in Montreal, the family moved to the town of Charlemagne to live with her Italian-Canadian grandparents.

Although Charlemagne is only 30 kilometres away from Montreal, the move introduced Ben-David to a whole new way of life — and a whole new way of thinking about food.

“We had a sizeable backyard garden — pretty typical for Italian immigrants,” she said with a laugh. “I think living there really planted the seed for my love of the outdoors, my obsession with trees and my need for stillness.”

Walking in the garden with her grandfather is Ben-David’s first memory of farming. She would often help him pick fresh ingredients for dinner, marvelling at how he would turn the tomatoes into fresh pasta sauce.

“I grew up hearing stories about food and farming from both sides of my family,” Ben-David explained. “My mom would talk about her grandmother breaking a chicken’s neck in a drawer, then watching it run around headless. My dad remembers raising chickens as a kid and struggling to eat them at dinner because they felt like pets. My paternal grandfather was also a butcher, so food production was always part of our family history in one way or another.”

The COVID-19 pandemic was pivotal for Ben-David. As food prices surged and quality declined, she became aware of vulnerabilities within the supply chain and felt a need to move away from reliance on grocery chains and unsustainable practices.

“What began as an interest in growing my own food for salads and homemade preserves evolved into a deeper drive for food sovereignty, both for myself and my community,” she explained.

But where could an aspiring young producer look for much-needed farm experience?

Ben-David had done one semester at the horticulture program at Centre de Horticole de Laval, but through a conversation with friends and Farm Management and Technology recruitment officer Katrin Dinkel, she learned about the ag education available at Mac Campus.

Older than average student

Within a few months of learning about FMT, she was starting her first day of class, eager to learn, but aware that her background differed from those students who had grown up on the family farm.

“It’s been challenging for sure,” Ben-David admitted. “I’m learning everything from scratch and often feel lost next to younger students who grew up farming. The world that shaped them is one I’m just beginning to understand. Farming runs through their veins, and here I am, just trying to figure out the difference between a disc harrow and a cultivator.”

Nonetheless, Ben-David has found success in the FMT program. She was one of five students to be awarded a Warren Grapes scholarship from the Quebec Farmers’ Association. She also completed an internship at the Mac Campus farm and spent a summer working at Pitt Street Garden, a permaculture and horticulture project in Cornwall, Ont.

Her time at Mac has also helped Ben-David learn more business skills for an innovative business idea that’s become her passion—a non-profit organization she founded called Roots Farm and Retreat.

“After COVID, I felt a pressing urge to become self-sufficient, yet I wanted my efforts to benefit others too,” she said, explaining why she founded the non-profit.

“But breaking into the farming industry is tough, especially without a generational farm to step into. The startup costs alone are massive, and accessing land, equipment and resources as a new farmer can feel like an uphill battle. It’s not just about learning how to grow food; it’s about navigating business, marketing and supply chains, while trying to make it all financially sustainable.”

Inspired to find a pathway to farming for herself and others, Ben-David and a close friend established Roots Farm & Retreat in 2022 by purchasing a 75-acre plot of land near Newington, Ont., north of Cornwall.

Overcoming financial barriers

The operation is an incubator for new farmers, prioritizing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour), queer and female farmers. The non-profit helps non-traditional aspiring farmers overcome financial barriers by offering 5- to 10-year land rentals so they can gain experience before purchasing their own land.

That’s definitely thinking outside the box, and a radical approach to helping up-and-coming ag producers enter the industry. The reaction from traditional farmers in the community has been equally supportive and, well, a bit baffled.

“The local community has been mostly supportive — though we’ve gotten a few ‘You must be crazy’ looks from some farmers,” Ben-David said. “Overall, they welcome the idea of creating opportunities for small-scale farmers and bringing more diversity to the area. The county has been especially supportive.”

In the winter of 2023, Roots Farm & Retreat acquired a hemp licence, adding another layer to its project of encouraging culturally significant specialty crops that are in demand, but often hard to find. Ben-David hopes to explore the potential of growing hemp for seed, oil and, ideally, CBD production. Alongside hemp, they intend to incorporate gluten-free grains into our crop rotation, enhancing both biodiversity and community offerings.

“We also focus on mental well-being, offering meditation, yoga and breathwork to help combat isolation,” Ben-David explained. “Our workshops will cover canning, preserving and cooking with fresh ingredients, creating a supportive community where experienced farmers mentor newcomers.”

The biggest challenge Ben-David and her team face at Roots Farm & Retreat is the same that all producers face: money and capital for investment.

Growth is slow

The farm desperately needs a tractor, as well as infrastructure support for its renters. While Roots Farm & Retreat has support from Réseau Racines, La Cité College and the FMT program itself, it’s outside-the-box approach often means it’s not eligible for strict funding initiatives and grants.

But Ben-David is undaunted by the hurdles she has to overcome to make Roots Farm & Retreat her full-time job. For this aspiring producer, starting a conversation and building community is just as important as growing crops.

“I think the biggest thing the non-farming public needs to understand is just how much work goes into producing their food. Farming isn’t just planting seeds and watching things grow. It’s long hours, constant problem-solving and working within a system that often feels stacked against small-scale producers,” she said.

“On the flip side, farmers also need to recognize that most people are disconnected from where their food comes from, not because they don’t care, but because the modern food system has made it easy to be. Bridging that gap means more conversations, more education and a little more empathy on both sides.”

To support Roots Farm & Retreat, you can donate to its GoFundMe fundraiser. Visit https://www.rootsfarmretreat.org/en/donation